Tournament founder Mary Jane King and low-gross champion Kim Williams relax Sept. 27, 2012, after the Peninsula Women's Golf Championship at the Woodlands in Hampton. Williams took the low-gross title by five shots.

Tournament founder Mary Jane King and low-gross champion Kim Williams relax Sept. 27, 2012, after the Peninsula Women's Golf Championship at the Woodlands in Hampton. Williams took the low-gross title by five shots. (SONNY DEARTH/DAILY PRESS PHOTO)

Sonny Dearthsdearth@dailypress.com | 757-247-4640

HAMPTON -- Kim Williams followed her first-round 68 with a 73 Thursday on the Woodlands course to win the 35th Peninsula Women's Golf Championship.

Tournament founder Mary Jane King, 83, said she is ending her tenure as tournament director but is working on finding a replacement. She has been part of all 35 PWGC events, winning the low-gross championship in 1979, '88 and '92.

Williams' 3-over-par 141 earned her the title by five strokes over runner-up Tammy Bouchard.

Lisa Egizi, a 21-handicapper, celebrated the low-net championship, shooting a 165 gross for a 123 net. Wanda Marinke, a former coach at Tabb and Denbigh, among other high schools, was the low-net runner-up at 126 (166 gross).

At the awards ceremony, tournament committee member Sue Bellis marveled at the event's tradition.

"You have the founding fathers, like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. We have Mary Jane," Bellis said.

A display in the Legends clubhouse had artifacts from previous tournaments. The showcase even included candy in yellow "Mary Jane" wrappers.

Bellis recalled that when Tropical Storm Isabel hit the Peninsula, "the course was almost underwater, but the tournament still went on, with only two withdrawals.

"We just said, 'If you don't like your lie, go ahead and move it.' The fact that we could all get together and play, after something that decimated this Peninsula, I applaud you all."

Longtime tournament sponsor John Kaufman, an optometrist, paid tribute to King during the awards ceremony. Practically all of the golfers received a prize of some sort.

Williams, relaxing and smiling in the clubhouse well after her round and socializing with fellow players, said she was stunned at how well she played from tee to green in the first round.

"I was within 6 feet on about every green and could have shot 10 under par," she said, admitting that she had trouble sleeping Wednesday night and realized she couldn't repeat that kind of performance in the final round.